As they left the hotel, Lu Chengwen bid farewell to Chen Moqun and the others, repeatedly warning Chen Moqun, "If you run into Long Aotian, don't act tough."
Climbing into the car, Xu Xuejiao hopped in beside him, grinning. Lu Chengwen shifted uncomfortably. "About earlier… sorry."
"It's fine." Xu Xuejiao lowered her gaze, smiled, and looked back at him. "Your kissing skills aren't bad. Actually, you're pretty impressive."
"Uh…" Lu Chengwen squirmed. "It was just… a weird situation, so…"
Xu Xuejiao sensed something off. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, just… don't take it too seriously…"
"Don't take it seriously? That was my first kiss! How could I not care?"
"Your first kiss?" Lu Chengwen blinked.
"What do you think?"
"Oh, damn… my bad."
Xu Xuejiao's eyes narrowed. "Lu Chengwen, you kissed me in front of everyone and now say 'my bad'? What's that mean? You pull me in for a thrill whenever you feel like it, then tell me to scram so you can keep playing the eligible bachelor?"
Lu Chengwen thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah."
Xu Xuejiao flung open the car door. "Lu Chengwen, you're ruthless! If I deal with you again, I'm a dog!" She slammed the door and stormed off, tears streaming down her face.
Zhao Gang, waiting nearby, watched her go and cautiously approached. "President Lu, what was that about? Miss Xu really likes you, and her family's loaded. Honestly, I think she's more likable than Miss Leng."
Lu Chengwen gave him a wry smile. "Zhao Gang, stick to your job. I've got my own plans."
"Got it," Zhao Gang replied.
Lu Chengwen's phone rang—it was Li Meiqin. "President Lu, can you come to the office?"
"What's up?"
"A few documents need your signature."
"Alright."
At the company, whispers followed him. "Look, President Lu's here."
"Yeah, he hasn't shown up in days."
Jiang Shihan hurried to his side. "President Lu, great news!"
"What's that?"
"The shantytown development team signed a supplementary contract with us."
"Get to the point."
Jiang Shihan smiled. "You'd better ask President Li—she knows the details."
Employees greeted him in waves. "Good day, President Lu! Hello, President Lu!"
Lu Chengwen flashed a smile. "Thanks for your hard work, everyone. Keep it up."
The staff exchanged stunned glances. One female employee whispered in panic to her colleague, "Did you hear that? President Lu smiled at us! Said we're working hard!"
"He used to ignore me completely or just flirt with the hot executives. What's up with him today?"
At a T-shaped corridor, a female employee carrying a tray of coffee collided with Lu Chengwen, spilling it all over his suit. She froze, horrified. "President Lu, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Jiang Shihan snapped, "What's wrong with you, being so careless? Do you know how much his suit costs?"
The woman looked ready to cry. Lu Chengwen laughed, picking up a half-spilled cup from the tray and taking a sip. "No big deal. Just make more coffee for everyone."
"Y-Yes, sir…" she stammered.
Jiang Shihan followed him. "I'll fire her immediately."
Lu Chengwen was shocked. "Why? It's just coffee. Look, you scared her half to death."
Jiang Shihan smiled. "President Lu, back in the day, you'd have chewed her out. You've changed a lot."
Lu Chengwen didn't respond. "How's your mom's condition?"
Jiang Shihan's heart warmed. "Thank you for asking. She's doing okay, but per our agreement, you'll need to talk to Miss Xu about her surgery."
"Got it," Lu Chengwen nodded.
In the office, everyone stood. "President Lu."
"Sit, sit," he said, settling into his chair. "Alright, tell me how much the development office is trying to fleece us for this time."
Li Meiqin smiled. "Not this time—it's genuinely good news."
Lu Chengwen raised an eyebrow. "Spill."
She spread out a map of Snow City. "The city government decided to sell us this plot at a discount as compensation for the shantytown project."
Lu Chengwen studied it. "Where's this?"
"I think it's got huge potential. If we play it right, it could be a goldmine."
"Oh."
Li Meiqin continued, "Also, the city and the office agreed to lower our tax rate for three years. Rough estimates say we'll save several hundred million."
"Oh."
"And our operations team secured priority on several projects. Barring surprises, they're ours. Other families and outside investors are left in the dust."
"Wait," Lu Chengwen interrupted. "Isn't that unfair competition? Won't it hurt investment enthusiasm?"
Li Meiqin explained, "Mayor Zhao said at a meeting that Great Sage Group is a conscientious enterprise, making unmatched contributions to the city. We can't let such a company fail or only take losses without benefits. He said the shantytown project's success is critical for Snow City's ability to attract investment. Basically, he's got our back."
Lu Chengwen sighed, rubbing his chin. "Anything else?"
"Yes," Li Meiqin said. "Mayor Zhao's been working hard in the province, securing us top-tier subsidies and preferential policies. He doesn't want us to fail—he wants us to finish this project. Great Sage is the city's star enterprise right now."
Everyone watched Lu Chengwen, expecting excitement. Instead, he remained calm, even frowning. This is a disaster! I'm gonna lose less money than I planned! Jiang Shihan blinked, confused. What's he thinking?
Lu Chengwen tapped the desk. "Li Meiqin, can we… not sign this contract? Skip the tax cuts, the discounts, the land?"
Li Meiqin froze. "I… already signed it. It's in effect. We just need your approval for internal execution."
Lu Chengwen rubbed his chin, visibly troubled. The executives grew nervous. This is a win! The project's a money-loser, but the government and Mayor Zhao pulled strings to help us. Why's President Lu unhappy?
Lu Chengwen scratched his head. "From now on, notify me immediately about deals like this."
"Yes, sir," Li Meiqin said, feeling wronged. Most companies would jump at such opportunities, signing fast to secure them. This contract was risk-free, high-reward, and within her authority, yet Lu Chengwen seemed displeased.
A man burst in. "President Lu! Congratulations!"
"What now?!" Lu Chengwen snapped.
"Our Ninth Pharmaceutical's stock is skyrocketing!"
Lu Chengwen shot to his feet. "What? Explain!"
"Yesterday, a recording leaked online—your conversation scolding the young master. It cleared your name from the fake drug rumors! Media outlets are sharing it, big influencers are praising you as the conscience of the industry, a role model. Ninth Pharmaceutical's reputation is restored, and the stock's up 300% from its peak! Rough estimates put its market value at over 220 billion. We've made at least 80 billion from the stock alone!"
Lu Chengwen's eyes widened. He collapsed into his chair, muttering, "It's over." The stock won't stay this high—it'll drop. But even if it halves, I'm still making over 40 billion! That's 40 billion earned, and I haven't even lost the 50 billion yet. Plus, they're throwing in land and projects! I'm getting nothing for all this! I burned through 50 billion, and they hand me back 40 billion! And Mayor Zhao's shoving more deals my way! I'm screwed!
Jiang Shihan's jaw twitched. President Lu's math is way off! Who calculates like that? She didn't know Lu Chengwen was banking on losing money to profit in the real world. Now, with the pharmaceutical gains offsetting his losses, he was spiraling.
At the door, a few female employees in business attire and black stockings whispered to Li Meiqin, winking. Lu Chengwen, feeling a heart attack coming, pointed. "What're they doing? Look at them!"
Li Meiqin stepped out, spoke briefly, and returned, beaming. "President Lu, more good news!"
His face paled. "No way!"
"It's true!" Li Meiqin said. "The shantytown blueprints are finalized—we can start construction immediately! And the city promised that once it's complete, Great Sage Group will manage 40% of the commercial district's businesses!"
"President Lu, I'm in awe!" a vice president chimed in. "I owe you an apology!"
Lu Chengwen, on the verge of a breakdown, snapped, "Sit down! Save it for later!"
"No! I can't hold back my admiration!" the vice president continued, holding up his phone. "Just got word—Great Sage's stock is soaring too! The market team's phones are ringing off the hook with pre-orders for housing and commercial spaces. We won't just break even—we'll make a fortune! A massive fortune, President Lu!"
Everyone stood, cheering, hugging, and shaking hands. "President Lu's the man!"
"He's beyond awesome!"
"No, he is awesome!"
"President Lu's on another level!"
"Wait, what's wrong with him? He's so happy he fainted!"
"Quick, help him! Pinch his philtrum!"
"Pinching's useless! He loves beauties—book a club, get ten girls! He deserves it!"
"Short skirts, black stockings—he's a freak for that!"
With his last shred of consciousness, Lu Chengwen muttered, "You bunch of… bastards…"
_
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